Kyra: Light during darker days - Santa Lucia

According to legend, Lucia carried food to Christians who were sheltering in Roman catacombs while wearing a wreath with candles on her head. That is why now the celebration includes a procession led by a girl dressed as Lucia, wearing a white dress with a red ribbon around her waist and a crown of candles on her head. She is then followed by boys and girls dressed in white, carrying candles and singing traditional Lucia songs. Many towns, schools and organisations will select their own Lucia each year to lead the local celebration, but there is also a national Lucia who is chosen in a special ceremony in Stockholm which you can also follow on TV or radio.  

My first Lucia

Last year was the first time for me, as this is not something we celebrate in the Netherlands. To really celebrate the holiday for the first time, some friends and I got tickets for a Lucia concert at the Olaus Petri church, here in Örebro. It was a traditional concert with a combination of choirs, which led to having people of all ages singing. It was very sweet to hear all the young children sing and watch them all walk around the church, following one girl who was selected to be Lucia. They sang all sorts of traditional Lucia songs, and trust me, if you go any concert, ‘Sanktaaa Luciiaaa’ will definitely be stuck in your head for a while after. It was a very beautiful and unique experience, I can definitely recommend going to see it for yourself if you have the opportunity! You should be able to experience in in various places in Örebro, but also other places in Sweden.

Traditional treats

With a celebration also comes fika! And we know how much Swedes love their fika.  Lussekatter (saffron buns), as well as pepparkakor (gingerbread cookies) are often eaten in combination with drinking glögg (mulled wine) or coffee during this time of the year. So definitely don’t miss out on those. If you are not going out to see a Lucia celebration, a night in with your friends and baking some delicious treats or building some gingerbread houses could also be a great way to spend the evening.

So, how are you going to celebrate Lucia?